Steam turbine



K. BAUMANN April 14, 1925.

STEAM TURBINE Filed March 10, 1922 fi rlflalmmim INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KARL BAUMANN, F URM STON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STEAM TURBINE.

Application filed March 10, 1922. Serial No. 542,785.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that 1, Kane BAUMANN, a citizen of the Confederation of Switzerland, and a resident of Urms'ton, county of Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements Relating to Steam Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

This lnvention relates to steam turbines "and has for its object to provide improved Q the interior of the casing or other difiiculties.

It has been assumed generally that the casing would expand symmetrically on each sideof the centre line and consequently any constraints which have been provided have been in the centre line or in a line perpendicular to the centre line. It has been found,

however, with very large casings such constralnts are not sufficient to guide the casing so that the movement ot' the axis of the casing has occurred in a direction inclined to the vertical central plane of the machine with consequent rubbing of the rotor on some part of the casing.

In order to avoid this diliiculty according to the present invention, guides are provided between the casing and the soleplate or foundation or other fixed part arranged so as to cause movement of the turbine casing to occur in directions which will cause the casing as a whole to move parallel with the centre line of the shaft. As the casing expands laterally as well as longitudinally, it will be evident that the guides must be placed so as to allow movement of various I parts of the casing along lines inclined to the axis, these line-s being the directions of the result-ants of the laterally and longitudinally acting expansive forces at the points where the guides are located.

In carrying out the invention two additional guides may be provided attached to the sole-plate or foundation at the inlet end of the turbine and adapted to engage with suitable surfaces formed on the turbine casing or frame at parts equidistant from the central vertical plane and on each side thereof. The guides and the portions of the casing or frame with which they engage are. on lines equally inclined to the central axis of the turbine, consequently assuming that the movement of the casing along the lines of the guides is equal, the centre line of the casing will not be displaced from the centre line of the rotor and rubbing between the latter and the casing will not occur.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a turbine cylinder and pedestal resting on sole-plates and provided with guides in accordance with the invention, a part being sectioned in order to show the securing means at the exhaust end of the cylinder; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 a section on the line IIIIII, Fig. 1, drawn to an en large-d scale, and Fig. 4: a section on the line IV-IV of Figs. 2 and 3 drawn. to the same scale as Fig. 3.

The turbine cylinder 1, at its exhaust end, rests upon the sole plate t and is secured thereto by a dowel connection 2 located in the center of the base of the cylinder as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and by bolts A suitable amount of clearance is allowed between bolts 3 and the sole plate -21; so as to allow for the expansion of the tnrbincfranie in a direction normal to its longitudinal. axis. At the steam inlet end the turbine is bolted to two sole-plates 5 and (i by bolts 7 which are also provided with a suitable amount of clearance to permit expansion of the turbine frame. The bearing pedestal 8 is bolted to a sole-plate 9 and its longitudinal axis is fixed by means of keys 10 which fit into corresponding recesses in the pedestal and sole-plate.

In order to maintain the exact position of the longitudinal axis of the turbine, it is necessary to ensure equal transverse expansion on both sides of the centre line. For this purpose guide keys 11 are provided which fit into grooves 12 and recesses 13 in the base or feet of the turbine and the sole-plates 5 and 6 respectively. The recesses and grooves in the turbine and the Ill) respective sole-plates5 and 6 are on lines equally inclined tothe central axis of the turbine, the angle of inclination market a in Fi 2 being determined by the combined longitudinal and transverse expansion of the casing.

The invention is not limited to 'the construction shown in the dra vings and in particular the number and precise location of the guides may be varied, though, as a gen eral rule, it is desirable that the. guides should be as few as possible in order that the casing may expand freely when heated.

\Vhile I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed there upon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the appended claims. 7 7

What I claim is:

1. A structure for maintaining correct alignmentof a steam turbine when expansion of the casing occurs comprising a sole plate having a dowel connection with one end of the casing in a central vertical plane thereof, guidescarried by the sole-plate'or foundation at the other end of the turbine and adapted to engage with suitable surfaces formed on the turbine casing or frame equidistant from the central vertical plane on each side thereof and equally inclined thereto, the inclination of each of said'surfaces being 1n the direction of the resultant of the laterally and longitudinally acting expansive forces. r

2. A supporting structure for a turbine casing comprising a sole-plate having a dowel connection in the central vertical plane of the casing at one end and lateral sole-plates for the other end of the casing having inclined key and groove connections with respect to the casing.

3. A supporting structure for a turbine casingcomprising a transverse sole-plate for one end of the casing and having a central dowel connection with respect thereto and sole-plates for the other end of the casing place-d equally distant from the vertical central plane of the casing and having groove and key connections with respect to the casing, said key and groove connections being inclined in accordance with the amount of longitudinal and transverse deflection.

4. In a. turbine support, the combination of a cylinder fixedat one end against longi' tudinal movement, supports at the other end of the cylinder on each side of a central vertical plane thereof, and guide means for V of the cylinder and guide means for the supports, said guides being disposed in an acute angular relation to the "ertical axial plane of, the turb ne,

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this fourteenth day of February, 1922. v KARL BAUMANN. V 

